Thomas Martin Diaries

Rainy and disagreeable

Heavy rain 9pm

45 Friday, January 1, 1897

12:01 am. Just listen to the din! whistles, pistols, horns crackers and what not. I'll go home and go to bed (1:30pm) Up again at 5am and at office at 9:30am. and read the papers and began [meeting?] Jr. t. Around town also and paid some taxes and also at the PO and clerks office To dinner 1:30 till nearly 3pm. and then back to my office and there all the afternoon [consent?] to arguments at 6:30 and found home closing so to elect and as 10:00 close office and got word and good [matters?] from Jr. about it. Home and read letters and to bed 12:00 am.

Very heavy rain during night and before dawn. Work at 11am.

Saturday, January 1, 1897

Awakened before day by very heavy rain from the south which made it leak over the windows went to my bed. To office 9am and read papers and then began working on my reports and collect ing rents. To dinner 1:45 to 2:00 pm and back to my office for a bank [now?] bought drafts for [wages?]. Bob Evans came in PM made out [partly] my reports to [Marks?] and then to [arrange?] office for home suit files. When finished [dissent?] to V. and to depot and [reached?] it back to office 6:45 and home to supper. arguments

Lovely day

30 Sunday, January 3, 1897 [vs?]

awake 7 am up and outdoors 7:45 am and back and then bathed and dressed and to church and office at 11:30 am and so [from?] church to [Post Office] and then [over?] Capt. Loyd's but he was asleep and so I did not see him He is greatly ill with lagrippe and appendicitis. Then to [?] There the [medicines?] and I wen there with [mr & mrs?] [?] from [Nottoway] [County?] an elderly couple very pleasant people. Out to cemetery with [Madame?] [illegible] Julia at 4:30 [to?] 5:20pm Home then office at 8 pm and began my letter

#7 Heavy frost. Some ice. began to freeze day of morning and last

30 Monday, January 4, 1897 45

up 8 am. office 9:20 am. Wrote Finks and Lednum, [Post Office] [traxed?] and around town generally and to dinner at 1:30 2:30 pm. Then to office via 1 Nat Bank. Bob Evans in my office this a.m. for some time. At work all the afternoon on [Gregg's?] matters (having written many [?] 7 12 [ph?] this am) At depot 6:30 - 9 [reggs?] and office and supper then [arguments?] till 10pm and [climb?] in P. O. Depot. Have [stryker?] {Lenvacher?] Have taken 11:30

Heavy ice. Beautiful cold day

28 Tuesday, January, 5, 1897 40

Had bad headache Rest up 7 am. Office 9:20 and around to [converse?} and [elocution?] and then to P. O. and got letters and to clerk's office and read them. With Major Jarvis at P. O. Back to my office and at work on [Gregg's?] matters till 1:30 pm Home dinner and back to office 2:15 and worked hard until 6:30 then supper, [assignments?] 7:45 to 9:30pm and then [leaving?] office and began no. 8, and wrote until 11:15 pm and then home and to bed by 12 pm. feeling pretty badly.

#8 Beautiful day but cold 28 Wednesday, January 6, 1897 40 Up 8 am with bad headache and at my office at 9:20 and began work on [Gregg's?] matters and then to P.O. and around town several places including City Hall and [illegible] [illegible]. [illegible] To dinner 1:30 2:20 Tom. [were?] came back from bank (X) Robert also came home sick. At work all pm on [gregg?] reports and at 6 PM out on J Ave [cross?] and to depot and mailed letter supper [diplopia?] arguments 8 - 9:20 Club PO 11 [and] home to bed at 11:40 pm

Gov [illegible] [(illegible)] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] change to [illegible] [illegible[ for [illegible]

Beautiful day cold 30 Thursday, January 7, 1897 50 Up at 7:40 office 9:06 am. Robert sick in bed went to PO at 10 and met R. first time since disappointed in my mail. Around to see Morgan Jones and Thompson about passes. Also at [Mother Jones] Co's and other places. Wrote to Mrs. Benders To dinner 1:30 - 2 pm. Robert in bed still to avoid chill at office and worked on [Gregg's?] reports and finally got through with them at 7:30 pm and [sent?] [them?] [to home] supper. Arguments 8:04 - 9:20 Club till 11 PO depot and home and to bed at 12:04 am

Cloudy am Sun pm 45 Friday, January 8, 1897 60 #9/7 $20 Up 8 am. My right eye badly inflamed office at 9:30 am and [wish] a [illegible] came over I went to their office and then to PO [Hour?] no. 7 [illegible] and up in my clerks office and wrote till 1:30 pm Then [illegible] Capt Loyds and sat a half hour with him. Home to dinner and offices via [our?] [Natl Bk?] and told [Junius?] [Reilly?] about death of [Armsworth?] Then to my offices and and wrote until 5 pm ([dry?] [cough?]) and to [depot] at 6:30pm then P.O. and home to supper. Arguments 7:30 9:20 Club till 11:30 and home and to bed at 12:10pm

D. [Newsome?] [wrote?] of [death] of Wm. [Sumter?] on 2[nd?] at [gardens?]]

Pretty day slightly hazy 38 Saturday, January 9, 1897 60

Right Eye sore yet and troublesome Up 8:20 am office at 9:30am read papers and then to post office at 12 and got some mail and in clerk's office till 1:00 pm [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] and then to Capt Loyds and home to dinner at 1:40 pm. Office at 2:30 and began [overseeing?] circular letter to county clerk's about jurors and finished 38 (2 [illegible] [illegible]) by 6:10pm and then to P.O. and [illegible] first to see about return envelopes enclosed therein. Supper arguments 8-11pm then to P.O. and home and to bed at 12:10

Beautiful day

10/8 40 Sunday, January 10, 1897 60

Up 8 am at ch. with [mame] at 11 am. Haggart [lay? reader. [Mr.?] [Washer?] sang offertory and Prof Lamb played his accompaniament most beautifully After church to P.O. and found no 8. In clerks office a while and wrote part of No. 10. Then to dinner. [saw?] + come [then?] Gave C. money to buy flowers for her mothers grave. Could not go my self. Tomorrow had horse and carriage and I had to go to vestry meeting 4 [illegible] pm. Then office and finished [letter] and to [depot]. then PO. and Capt Loyds & [met?]] [illegible]

He and I then went to [illegible] and I [copied] [illegible] of J G Holland for tomorrow Home and [illegible] [illegible] [one] [another].